Toxic Culture - be a change advocate

Welcome to the latest edition of “Modern Management Hacks” - A series of monthly Hacks, that help managers step it up. This is the 19th in the series.

I regularly talk about the techniques that can be used by modern managers today, tomorrow, this year and in fact in 2025 and beyond.

If you are an ACTION TAKER and want to make a difference to the people in your sector, this newsletter is for you. If you are an HR professional and have a brilliantly engaged team of managers and you want them to be better, this is the monthly newsletter for you.

Those of you who work with us will know as well as our commercial clients, that we specialise in supporting education professionals, schools, Multi Academy Trusts, and boarding organisations. This builds on nearly 20 years of experience in the sector. The topic of the newsletter today was covered in a recent course we ran for a school.

What is a Toxic Culture and how to recognise it.

Anyone who read the Casey Review, commissioned in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard, would not have failed to have been shocked at what Baroness Casey, uncovered within the Metropolitan Police.

Hard-hitting words, in short, a TOXIC culture.

·?????? Institutionally racist

·?????? Misogynistic

·?????? Homophobic

Reading the review,? my thoughts are “where would you start”. The loudest thought ?screaming out to me , ?is only by re-educating people that change can happen.

The best way to tackle that is through a robust Learning and Development programme, coupled with strong management, and reinforcing the processes. None of which is an easy task. ?

Culture needs to change. Alongside recognising that there is a problem, within your organisation, an ongoing and consistent plan for bringing change through education and training reinforces the rules, expectations and plans for better action.

?So, what is a Toxic culture?

A Toxic culture can be harmful to all who work within it. Bullying, Racism, Sexism to name but a few of the behaviours you might see in a Toxic workplace.? But there are others which are less obvious, sometimes ignored as harmless, but equally as damaging.

·?????? Gossiping and Cliques

·?????? High levels of absence

·?????? Favouritism

·?????? Late night working

I have witnessed all four of these in organisations I have worked in the past, and at the time not many of us would have recognised them as contributions towards a toxic culture.

?A toxic environment can stop people from growing to their potential, create a high staff turnover, and for those who remain? ?It can crush their spirit, lead them to suffer stress and anxiety and prevent them from working to their true potential.

How does a Toxic Culture form?

A toxic culture often starts from the top and can be born from Ineffective management and poor policies and practices.? Lack of accountability, managers not supporting their team and blame shifting, coupled with poor communication, can create a Toxic culture, leading to low performance, high-stress levels and high turnover of staff.

The Casey Review found that staff often found themselves in positions which they were inadequately trained for, again highlighting the need and importance for a strong and focused Learning and Development programme.

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Whilst there is no sticking plaster approach to fixing a toxic workplace, here are a few tips which might help you to adopt the right approach in your team:

Live your values

I love this one!

Encourage and support your team to live your company values, these should be the very definition of what is expected of every person in your organisation. That also includes you. We all have a responsibility in ensuring that our culture, is something we can be proud of. An expression I use a lot is ‘Do not just talk the talk’ Model the behaviour you expect and desire.

Respect, Diversity, Inclusion, Honesty, integrity, Accountability.

These are just a few of the words which I see used to describe a company’s values. A couple are in my own business’ Values. Just think for a moment, do you live by yours?

Invite Feedback

This one might be a bit painful at first, but give your employees a chance to tell you how they feel about working for your organisation and then ACT on the feedback. Show your team that you are listening, by implementing ideas where possible, or explaining why, when it isn’t possible.

Avoid a Gossip culture

Now this one is a toughie.? We all love to talk over a cuppa, don’t we?

Create a culture which allows your employees to speak up in a safe environment, so that they don’t have to whisper behind closed doors.

Ignoring workplace gossip can lead to distrust and insecurity within your team.

Recognition

This is my absolute favourite. There is nothing better than recognising positive behaviours. A job well done.

You can highlight achievements in team meetings, notice boards, or in emails – but whichever way you choose, it is important to be consistent.

Lead by example:

Just to end on a high, be the inspiration for your team to follow, the role model. ?As I mentioned above.

Your team look to you as their moral compass and the behaviour that is acceptable. You cannot expect to change or prevent a toxic workplace if you set rules for everyone else and then break them yourself.

Show your team that it is OK to make mistakes and how to turn them into learning opportunities. Don’t send emails out of worktime (or at least don’t expect them to be answered)

Be the last one out the door, but just to make sure everyone else has left on time.

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If you are ready to chat or have a question to ask about a management situation or need some advice, book a virtual cuppa with me at https://calendly.com/tracy-anne/chat-with-the-managers-training-co

Tracy-Anne is the founder of The Managers Training Company Ltd – a leading, high-quality, management training provider for educational establishments whose mission is to equip your leaders and managers with the strategies, tools, and skills that enable them to create a positive and productive team culture that puts rewarding pupil experiences at its heart. To find out more: www.themanagerstrainingcompany.co.uk

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